Vault lowering device



-. J. SMOLA VAULT LOWERING DEVICE May 17, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed `Aug. 25, 1937 INVENTOR. l

'JOSEPH SM OLA. BY e @ad AToRNEYs.

Mayl 1 7, 193s. L SMOLA 2,111,518

VULT LOWERING DEVI CE Filed Aug. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 40 47 5o ""251 )Ir 51 INVENToR. JOSEPH SMoLA.

8% a CBM' e 1 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 17,1938

{ NITED' STATES VAULT LOWERING DEVICE 4l.llosepli Smola, Umaha, Nebr.

Application August 23,

4' Claims. This invention relates generally to burial Vault loweringdevices for handling a vault at the liti iti

grave and lowering same into the grave opening.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device of this characteradapted to rst partly lower the vault in the grave opening andsimultaneously remove 'the cover therefrom andrswing same to one sidewhere itA will be out ofthe way vto permit the casket to be placed inthe body of the vault.`

it is another object of my invention to provide a device of thischaracter that will replace the cover on the body of the vault insealing association therewith.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device of thischaracter whereby the vault may be lowered into the grave opening afterthe `cover has been replaced.

It `is a further object of my invention to proie vide a device of thischaracter that may be easily operated and that will automatically retainthe vault in Aany desired raised or lowered position.

It is a further object to provide a device of this character that isadjustable longitudinally and laterallyior grave openings of varioussizes.

lit isstill another object of my invention to provide a device' of thischaracter 'that is relatively simple and sturdy in construction. that issimple to operate, and'that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. v

Numerous' other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentas it is better understood .from the following detailed description,which; taken in connection ,with the accompanying drawings, disclosesapreferred embodiment tlnereof.` I

Referring to the drawings:

Figure i is a plan view of my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of same.

Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal section through the device taken online il-tl of Figure 1.

' Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section through the device taken online 5--5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section through vthe device taken online lilt of Figure l.

Figure 'l is a partial end elevation showing the cover arm securingmeans and the action of same. Referring more particularly to thedrawings, which illustrate a-preferred embodiment of my invention, thedevice comprises a `frarne having four vertical corner stanchions. Eachstanchion is of two piececonstruction, being split transversely andvertically through the center, the outer portion being designated byreference nu- 1937, sensi No; .reales meral il) and the inner portion byreference numeral l l The lower ends of said stanchions flare outwardlyto provide enlarged bases l2 which normally rest on the ground when thedevice is in use and are of such size as to sustain the weight of thedevice as well as the weight of the vault and casket without unduesinking into the ground. Bolts li secure the inner and outer portions ofthe stanchions together. The stanchions are secured togetherlongitudinally by longitudinal frame members Ml, the ends of which arereceived in openings provided therefor in the respective stanchions. Thelongitudinal frame members lli are adapted to slide longitudinally intheir respective openings for adjusting the length of the device and areheld in adjusted positions by winged set screws l5. The stanchions atthe crank end of the device are secured together laterally by a lateralframe member i6, the ends of which are received in openings providedtherefor in the respective stanchionsbelow the openings for thelongitudinal frame members and at right angles thereto, said framemember beingI secured in its respective openings by winged set screwsil?.

At the opposite end of the frame the stanchions of said end are securedtogether laterally by vertically spaced lateral frame members lli, therespective ends of which are received in openings provided thereforV inthe respective stanchions.

Said frame members til are secured in their respective openings bywinged set screws la. The lateral frame members l@ and lll are adaptedto slide in their respective openings upon release of 'theirrespectiveset screws to permit lateral or transverse adjustment of the frame andare held in adjusted positions by tightening of said set screws. At eachside of the device are longitudinally extending hollow shafts 2t and 2lbetween the respective stanchions. Stub shaftsit` and 23, journaled inthe stanchins adjacent the respective ends of shaft iti extend inwardlyof the respective ends of said shaft Zl and are )slidable therein. Eachof said shafts 22 and 23 have lonn gitudinally iiattened portionsagainst which the inner ends of winged set screws Ztl abut to hold shaft2li against rotation onesaid shafts 22 and` 23, the latter beingrotatable in their respective stanchions. Stub shafts 25 and 26,journaled in the stanchions adjacent the respective ends of shaft 2l,extend inwardly of the respective ends of said shaft 2l and are slidabletherein. Each of said shafts 25 and 2t have longitudinally nattenedportions 2l engageable by the inner ends of winged set screws it to holdshaft 2l against rotation on said shafts 25 and 25, the latter beingrotatable in ,their respective stanchions. The set s'crews 24 and 28,when tightened, also prevent longitudinal movement of the respectivestub shafts in the shafts 20 and 2|, the arrangement of the stub shaftsin the shafts 20 and 2| permit adjustment of the lengthof the device.

Adjacent the respective ends of the shafts 20 and 2| spools 29 aresecured thereon by bolts 33. The spools are provided with cables 3| and32, the cables 3| being wound on spools on shaft 2li and cables 32 beingwound on spools on shaft 2|. Said cables \are wound on their respectivespools upon clockwise rotation thereof. transversely opposed cables areprovided with .lioks 33 and veyes 34 respectively whereby theendsthereof may be releasably connected. Cables 32 are operably wound onrespective idling pulleys 35 rotatably mounted on the longitudinal framemember 4 disposed beneath shaft 2l.

The cables 32'y are so wound on the idling pulleysC that they -depend onlthe inner side of same as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, to provide uniformsuspension of the vault. It will be readily apparent rthat -the cablesare so wound on the spools that when the shafts 20 and 2| are rotated.said shafts being geared to rotate in the same direction simultaneouslyrelative to each other, the cables will be 4simultaneously -unwound orwound, depending onthe direction of rotation of the shafts. The vault,shown in dotted lines 21a, Fig. 6, restsvon the joined cables and may bethus lowered or raised as desired. Stub shafts 22 and 25 are eachprovided with a gear 36 secured thereon within gear case 31' formedwithin the respective stanchions ofthe crank end of the device.

laterally extending stub shafts v3l and 33 are journaled in therespective stanchionsof the.

crank end of the device and have worm gears 43 secured thereon inoperative' mesh with the gears 36. The stub shafts 33 and 33 extendinwardly of the device in axial alignment withv each other and haveflattened portions 40a. Said shafts 33 and 39 are receivedin therespectiveends of a hollow shaft 4| and are slidable therein. Set screws42 adjacent the ends of shaft 4| are adapted for engagement with' theflattened portions 45 for holding the respective 'shafts 33 and 39against rotation in shaft 4| as well as against sliding movementlongitudinally therein. Stub shaft 39 isprovided with a square end 43adapted to be removably received in the socket of a crank 44, saidsquare end extending outwardly relative to the crank sidev of thedevice. Upon turningof the crank worm gears 4l are simultaneously turnedor rotated and drive the respective gears 35 thereby rotating shafts 20and 2| for raising or lowering a vault resting onthe cables of thedevice, said shafts\being adapted to turnsimultaneously in the samedirection. i

The longitudinally outer ends of stub shafts 25 and 26 are provided withlongitudinally extending square endsv 45 adapted for operative receptionin inwardly extending sockets 45 Aof cover arms 41 which 'extend atright angles to the axis of said shafts 25 and 25.

The cover arms 41 are adapted to swing on the same axis as that of theshafts 25 and 26 and are provided with inturned portions 48, said armshaving integral webs 4 9 for strengthening and bracing same. The arms41, when attached to their respective shafts are retained in operativepositionby angular plates." adapted to normally swingorijfrespectivewinged screws` l. the latter The free ends of being tightened forretaining the plates in desired positions.

Jaw members 52, adapted to grasp the respective ends and adjacent sidesof the vault cover, shown in dotted lines 44a of Figure 1, are drawntogether clampingly by turnbuckles 53. The jaw members at each end ofthe device are provided with upturned flanges 54 by means of which therespective turnbuckles 53 are operatively assolcables which pass beneathsame adjacent the ends thereof. With the cover arms attached so theyextend intermediately between. the respective end stanchions thejaw-members are clamped to the corners of the cover of the vault, asshown in E igure l. Turning of the crank in the-proper direction willlower .the vault and 'simultaneously cause the cover arms to swingupwardly and outuwardly and downwardly as indicat'ed by arrows 58 inFigure 6 thereby carrying 'the cover out of the way to permit placing ofthe casket in the partly lowered vault which has moved to substantiallythe position shown in Figure 6 with its upper edge i approximately thesame plane as the top of the grave opening. The worm gear arrangement ofthe device automatically holds the vault in any desired position thuseliminating accidental slippage.

After/the casket has been placed in the vault the crank is turned in theopposite direction thereby raising the vault and simultaneouslyreturning the cover onto same. Vaults' of this character usually have atongue and groove arrangement, the latter being partly lled with asuitable sealing material so vthat upon the returi of the cover to thebody of the vault same will be hermetically sealed.

The jawsare now released from the cover and the cover arms removed fromtheir respective' shafts after plates 50 have been swung out ofassociation with said arms. lowered into the opening by suitable-turningof the crank and when said vault rests on the bottom v of the graveopening the cables are pulled longitudinally outward, relativel tothevault, until they become free and. can be raised.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changesxnay be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the parts without.` departing from the spirit and scopeofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. In a` device of the class described, a frame securedtogether bylongitudinal and-.transverse The vault is then frame membersrespectively, a pair of longitudi- A nally extending rotatablevaultsupporting shafts being in substantially the same horizontal planesassociated with respective stanchions, said shafts Iand spaced laterallyapart in parallel relationnecting means being transversely adjustablerelative to the frame, a crank for operating the worm gears, spoolssecured to the shafts adjacent the ends thereof, transverse cableswindable on the respective spools at the respective ends of the shafts,said cables being similarly wound on the spools, the cables for oneshaft depending on the latter cables being received on idler pulleysoperatively mounted to the frame beneath the respective spools of theadjacent shaft, said cables depending on the inner sides of the idlerpulleys, a removable cover swinging arm operatively associated with eachend of the shaft having the cables depending on the outer side thereof,said arms being adapted to swing on the same axis as that of said 'shaftforvswinging a'vault cover outwardly of the frame and swinging same backonto a vault supported on the cables upon suitable rotation of theshafts, means associated with the arms for clamping engagement with avault cover, and releasable means forretaining the arms in operativeassociation with the shaft.

2. Ina device of the class described, a frame comprising upright cornerstanchions sec'ured t0- gether by longitudinal and transverse framemembers, a. pair of longitudinally extending rotatable vault supportingshafts operatively associated with respective stanchions, the axes ofsaid shafts being in substantially the same hori- Zonta] plane and saidshafts being laterally spaced apart in parallel relationship, a gearoperatively secured to each shaft adjacent the ends thereof, said gearsbeing at the same end-of the device,

a worm gear operatively associated with each first mentioned gear, meansfor simultaneously operating the worm gears to rotate the vaultsupporting shafts simultaneously in the same direction, spools securedon the shafts adjacent the ends thereof,rtransverse cables between thespools of the respective ends and similarly wound on said spools, thecables of one shaft depending on the innerside thereof and the cables ofthe other shaft depending on the outer side thereof, idler pulleysoperatively disposed beneath the spools of the last mentioned shaft onwhich the cables thereof are operatively associated to de- `pend on theinner side of said idler pulleys, a

removable cover swinging arm operatively associated with each end of theshaft having the outwardly depending cables, said arms being adapted toswing on the same axis as said shaft and to swing a vault coveroutwardly of the frame and swing same back onto a. vault supported cnthe cables upon suitable rotation of the vault supporting shafts, meansassociated with the arms for clamping engagement with a vault cover, andreleasable means for retaining the arms in operative association withthe shaft.

3. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame, vmeans forsupportably moving a vault vertically, means for clampingly engaging thecover of the vault, swinging means associated v with the clamping meansadapted to swing the porting frame,`means for supportably moving a vaultvertically, cover lifting and swinging means adapted for engagement withthe vault cover for lifting said cover and swinging same outwardly ofthe frame and for returning said cover onto the vault, and means fordisconnecting the cover swinging means from operative association withthe device.

JOSEPH SMOLA.

